Improvement in soluble-ink pens



J. HOFFMAN. Soluble-Ink Pen.

No. 213,570. Patented Mar. 25,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH REOKEN- DORFER,OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOLUBLE-INK PENS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,570, dated March25, 1879; application filed December 20, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HOFFMAN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSoluble-Ink Pens, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that kind of pen in which there is combined withthe pen proper a soluble-ink solid, which, when the pen is dipped inwater, will to a certain extent dissolve in the water held by the pen,and furnish an ink which will be given off by the pen in the usual way.

Such a pen is shown and described in Letters Patent No. 193,071, datedJuly 17, 1877.

It is desirable, in some instances, to have a pen which can be usedeither with ordinary ink or with the solid-ink composition. To this endI have made a pen in which the solidink holder can be moved up to orback away from the pen proper, according as it is desired to use thelatter with or without the solid-ink composition. It is in this featurethat my invention mainly consists.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented a pen embodying myinvention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the article with theink-solid holder in position for use. Fig. 2 is a like section with theink-solid holder retracted and out of the way. Fig. 3 is a view of thearticle with both the pen-holder and the ink-solid holder retractedwithin the case or handle.

1n the device shown in illustration of my invention the pen-holder A isarranged to slide longitudinally in a case or hollow handle, B, beingguided in its movements by a slot, a, in the case, through which passesthe pin that connects the pen-holder with the external sleeve, 1), bymeans of which it is moved back and forth.

The ink-solid holder is shown at C. It is intended to hold the ink-solidstick or composition (shown at c) in such manner as to bring it intoproper position under the pen proper,

d, and to permit the water to have access to it when so positioned. Forthis purpose the ink-solid holder may be of any suitable construction.In this instance it is composed of metallic spring or elastic jaws,preferably perforated, and formed so as to clasp between them the stickof solid-ink composition. The jaws form parts of or are secured to abasepiece, which is connected by a pin to a sliding sleeve, f, on theexterior of the handle B, placed back of the pen-holder sleeve 6, thepin passing through the guideslot a.

When the pen-holder is pushed forward the ink-solid holder can either bemoved out, as shown in Fig. 1, in which case the pen can be used bymerely dipping it in water, or it can be kept back within the case orhandle, in which event the pen can be used with ordinary ink.

When the pen is not in use both holders can. be retracted within thecase, as shown in Fig. 3.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- Theherein-described improvement upon the soluble-ink pen described inLetters Patent No. 193,071, the same consisting of the combination, withthe hollow case or handle, provided with a longitudinal guide-slot, andthe sliding pen holder, connected through said guide-slot with a sleeveon the handle, of the ink-solid holder, formed with openings to permitwater to have access to the ink-solid held within it, and connectedthrough the same guide-slot with a separate and independent sleeve onthe handle back of the pen-holder sleeve, as shown and specified.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I atlix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

J. BRAIsTED, J OE. W. SWAINE.

